Today we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. The majority of Coloradans now breathe cleaner, safer air because of this historic legislation that bans smoking in most public places. Five years after its passage, there are more than 100,000 fewer Coloradans who smoke, billions fewer cigarettes smoked statewide and millions fewer Coloradans breathing secondhand smoke.

Colorado workers no longer have to choose between their health and the loss of their paycheck. Colorado consumers no longer have to choose between the smoking and non-smoking sections of their favorite restaurants and bars. And now, when we gather together indoors, Coloradans can benefit from a healthier environment.

The Clean Indoor Air Act, along with the voter-approved tobacco tax increase and consistent public health interventions, improves the health of all Coloradans. Since the implementation of this comprehensive effort, the percentage of current Colorado smokers has decreased from 20 to 16 percent. There are 20 fewer packs of cigarettes per person per year consumed in Colorado. And more than 95 percent of Coloradans now are protected from secondhand smoke where they work.

Studies by the surgeon general, the Institute of Medicine and other leading researchers show smoke-free laws reduce secondhand smoke exposure, decrease heart attack hospitalizations and help smokers quit. We see early evidence of those results in Colorado. Current studies show there is a decline in the proportion of low-weight births that can be attributed to smoking and declines in hospitalizations for heart attacks. We know from years of research that fewer people smoking means fewer people at risk for chronic disease and early death.

As we pause to celebrate a healthier Colorado, however, we must remember there is still much work to do. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in Colorado and a major driver of health care costs. We know there is no safe level of secondhand smoke and that exposure can trigger heart attacks in adults, increase the risk of chronic disease, lead to respiratory infections in children and even cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Despite our best efforts, many of us still are exposed to secondhand smoke where we live, learn, work and play. More than two of five Coloradans surveyed report having to put up with tobacco smoke in public places. We can and should do more to ensure every Coloradan has the choice to breathe air free of tobacco smoke.

People across our state are struggling to break the death grip of tobacco addiction. A steady stream of smokers continues to get help through the Colorado QuitLine funded by the tobacco tax. In a statewide survey, a majority of Coloradans said they would like to see more public places off limits to tobacco. And communities across our state are working together to ensure their residents have cleaner, safer air to breathe.

Together we can do more. We envision a state where smoking is rare and exposure to secondhand smoke rarer yet. So, let’s take a moment to breathe deeply and celebrate our cleaner, safer Colorado air. Then let us move forward to create an even healthier, more smoke-free Colorado.

Chris Urbina, M.D., MPH, is the executive director and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.

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